On Monday morning, Alexandre Boulerice, the last federal NDP MP from Quebec, revealed his plans to exit the party and seek election with Québec Solidaire at the provincial level.
“I aspire for there to be progressives or left-leaning individuals in the Parliament of Canada, and I will be pleased when Quebec achieves sovereignty so that I can collaborate with them for a better North America,” Boulerice stated.
He made his announcement from his current federal riding of RosemontâLa Petite-Patrie, a position he has occupied since 2011. He was joined by the co-spokespersons of Québec Solidaire, Ruba Ghazal and Sol Zanetti, who welcomed him into their leftist and sovereigntist party.
Zanetti remarked that Boulerice’s addition is a significant endorsement of their pro-independence stance.
“This is very positive and significant news,” Ghazal noted. “Not just for Québec Solidaire, but for all Quebecers. We need progressive figures like Alexandre.”
After 15 years in parliament, Alexandre Boulerice has announced he will join Québec Solidaire as a candidate in the upcoming Quebec provincial election.
Beginning a new political journey
Boulerice stated he will initially serve as an Independent and will officially resign the day prior to the commencement of the provincial campaign.
He confirmed his intentions to contest in Montreal’s Gouin riding, which coincides with his federal riding. The Gouin riding is currently represented by former Québec Solidaire co-spokesperson Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, who has announced his exit from politics at the end of his term.
Former Québec Solidaire co-spokesperson Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois was emotional as he announced he’d be stepping down from politics on Thursday, March 20, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press)
The Gouin riding has consistently supported Québec Solidaire since 2012, although the party has seen a decline in popularity in recent polls. Earlier this month, poll aggregator Qc125 indicated the party’s support at approximately eight percent, trailing behind other major parties.
Despite this, Boulerice expressed that he is not worried about the polls and does not let them influence his political decisions.
For Boulerice, this decision feels like a return home. He believes it will enable him to continue advocating for his progressive and humanitarian values, which he sees reflected in Québec Solidaire’s emphasis on public services, workers’ rights, and women’s rights.
Founded two decades ago through the merger of various progressive provincial parties, Québec Solidaire has roots that trace back to the dissolved Quebec wing of the NDP.
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A significant loss for the NDP
The exit of Boulerice represents a substantial setback for the federal NDP, which had counted on him to “reconnect with progressives in Quebec.” Serving as the party’s deputy leader since 2019, he was regarded by many as “Quebec’s most recognized MP.”
With his departure, the NDP will hold only five seats out of 343 in the House of Commons, all of which are located west of Ontario.
When asked about the implications of essentially “erasing the NDP from the province,” Boulerice remarked that political parties experience fluctuations over time. Nevertheless, he expressed confidence in new NDP Leader Avi Lewis’s ability to “reconnect with the hearts and minds of Quebecers.”
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Boulerice had shown interest in transitioning to provincial politics even before Lewis’s leadership victory last month. During a recent by-election gathering, Lewis admitted he had urged Boulerice to “please stay.”
On Monday, NDP Leader Avi Lewis addressed the media after his party’s only Quebec MP, Alexandre Boulerice, announced he will leave to run provincially with Québec Solidaire. Boulerice ‘wants to put his considerable skills as a politician and as a fighter for progressive values to work in his province,’ Lewis said. ‘And we respect that decision.’
Can Boulerice ignite another Orange Wave?
Boulerice was the final Quebec MP from Jack Layton’s 2011 “Orange Wave,” which propelled the party to become the official Opposition in the House of Commons.
Québec Solidaire is eager to replicate that success in the upcoming provincial elections this October.
Zanetti mentioned on Monday that since Boulerice has already experienced an Orange Wave, “why not have another one?”
“He’s instilling a lot of hope in us,” he stated.
Ghazal hinted that more announcements will be forthcoming from Québec Solidaire, as the party seeks to enhance its representation in Quebec’s National Assembly this autumn.